Fascist legal innovation

The military dictatorship has come up with another “legal” innovation with which to ensure that its political opponents receive only the junta’s “justice.” In other words, no justice at all.

Prachatai reports that the junta is now appointing lawyers for the political opponents it arrests and barring the opponents’ own lawyers from participation in the rigged cases against their clients.

It is reported that “Tassanee Buranupakorn, former MP of the northern province of Chiang Mai from Pheu Thai Party, Boonlert Buranupakorn, former chief of the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation, Khachen Jiakkhajorn, mayor of Chang Phueak Subdistrict in Chiang Mai’s Muang District, and 8 other detainees, were brought to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), Bangkok to listen to accusations against them” under the sedition law and several other junta-invented and regenerated “laws.”

The 11 are accused of “an attempt to distribute thousands of letters in Northern Thailand which reportedly contained materials criticising the draft constitution.”

In a properly functioning political system, these letters would not be considered illegal based on the information currently available. PPT has not seen the contents but assumed they only infringe junta-created laws meant to repress political opponents.

Jamnong Chaimongkol is Tassanee’s lawyer. However, Jamnong says that “police did not allow him to listen to the accusations against his client.”

Worse, the junta’s minions “appointed another attorney from the Lawyer Council of Thailand to represent [sic.] Tassanee…”. In most places, and up until now in Thailand, people are permitted to choose their own lawyers.

And worse still, this fascist regime will drag these political prisoners before a military court.